


Returnings

by MusicPlayer81



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-08
Updated: 2019-08-08
Packaged: 2020-08-11 18:31:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20158144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MusicPlayer81/pseuds/MusicPlayer81
Summary: Regaining one's bending is an interesting business. Things are finally returning back to normal...and so are people.





	Returnings

**Author's Note:**

> This work involves my OC Chen Beifong, daughter of the esteemed Republic City police chief. If you'd like to read more about her, head over to my other work "Guess I'm Going with You!"

It had been three weeks since she had returned from the South Pole, three weeks since Korra had given her back her bending. Lin had hardly slept, preferring instead to return as Chief of Police and help reconstruct the city. Building stabilization, street leveling, Lin had done it all. It was only after she had fallen asleep at her desk for the fourth time in two days that she finally listened to Saikhan’s pleas and sent herself home.

She had spent too long without her bending. There was no way she was ever going to take her abilities for granted, not after that. Besides, _someone_had to clean up the mess Tarrlok and Amon left behind. The United Forces were excellent peacekeepers and had helped restore order, sure, but they didn’t know the city like she did. She had to keep working.

The more she did, the harder she worked, the sooner Chen could come home.

It had been her idea to send Chen away to the family estate in Gaoling after she had been blood bent by Tarrlok. If Tarrlok had been a blood bender the entire time, who knows how many more were still in the city? And if one were to get their hands on her daughter—spirits, she would never be able to forgive herself. By her reckoning, it had been over a month since she had last seen her precious daughter. It killed her that she was so far away, but it was for the best. At least, that’s what she told herself.

She was just about to finish her dinner when she felt a familiar heartbeat near the front door. Curse this regaining bending business, confusing her senses... 

“Mama?”

Lin bolted to the door to find her daughter there, her bags dropped messily by her feet. Chen stood still, her lower lip slightly quivering. Lin felt her breath catch in her chest.

"Mama," she gushed, red splotches tinging her cheeks. “I know I should have told you, but I heard everything that was going on on the radio...I was so worried!"

"My darling," said Lin, blinking away the blur her tears had caused, "c'mere."

Chen ran into her arms, practically melting, but Lin noted how gentle her embrace was, as if she was afraid she'd harm her. "I'm alright now, Chen," she said. “Hey, I'm alright, we're both alright." 

She looked up at her, crying profusely. It _killed _Lin to see Chen cry—she'd break down and collapse on her own daughter if she weren't careful. "But Amon-the masked man-he, he-"

She started to tremble, and Lin stroked at her hair, then tapped a rhythm into the ground, blocks of stone emerging and sinking back like keys on an instrument. 

Chen gave a gasp into her chest. "Oh, thank goodness... I'd heard that he-he took -"

“My bending?” 

The young girl nodded into Lin’s chest. Lin held the girl tightly and pressed kisses to her head.

“You don’t need to worry about that, okay? Everything’s okay. *I’m* okay. Amon’s gone, he won’t ever hurt anyone again.”

“You promise?” Chen asked, her green eyes pleading. 

“I promise,” Lin said, 

Chen nodded before looking back up at her mother. “I really missed you, Mama.”

It was a miracle Lin hadn’t melted into a puddle. 

“Oh kid, you have no idea.”


End file.
